Peoria family accused in abuse of 2 adopted sisters

A 24-year-old Peoria woman, whose parents are accused of abusing their 11- and 13-year-old adopted daughters, was arrested Monday in connection with the case, court documents say.

Kourtney Jorg faces two counts of child abuse and two counts of kidnapping, while her parents each face six counts of child abuse, records say.

The abuse reportedly occurred between January and May of this year.

Police say Kourtney Jorg had been living with her parents, Kimery and Johann Jorg, and her four adopted sisters, ages 13, 11, 8, and 7, at the time of the reported abuse. However, court records available on Tuesday did not detail her reported participation.

Kimery Jorg, 54, and Johann Jorg, 61, were arrested after Peoria police found that the eldest of the adopted girls was malnourished and two of them had many callouses on their hands and buttocks, records say.

Police said Kimery Jorg had previously contacted Southwest Behavioral Health, which treated the girls since their adoption five years ago, for help with the eldest, whom she described as "deviant" and "defiant."

Police said Kimery told Southwest Behavioral Health employees in May that they progressively punished the girls for "lying and cheating," and punishments included swatting with a wooden paddle, drinking apple-cider vinegar, running outside in the heat for an hour and repeatedly writing Bible verses.

Concerned for the girls' welfare, employees from Southwest Behavioral Health notified the Arizona Department of Child Safety, which in turn got police involved.